Marlins Gm's Goal: Play .500

Dave Dombrowski Has Big Plans For The Season After Acquiring Big-name Players.

April 10, 1995|By Gordon Edes, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

MELBOURNE — The goal might seem modest, especially when cast against the vow made by Colorado Rockies owner Jerry McMorris that his team will win a championship faster than any expansion team ever.

Florida Marlins General Manager Dave Dombrowski took his first look Sunday morning at his newly upgraded Marlins, a team sporting two former most valuable players and a 20-game winner, and said it would be nice if the Marlins win as many games as they lose.

''That's a good goal, to get to at least that level,'' said Dombrowski, finally freed from the telephone after signing Terry Pendleton (1991 MVP), Andre Dawson (1987 MVP), John Burkett (22 victories in 1993), along with pitcher Bobby Witt and all-purpose player Jerry Browne, in less than 48 hours.

''Once you get to .500, you never know what will happen,'' Dombrowski said. ''As you add players, you have to see how everybody fits together. We're young, but I don't think there are any glaring holes on this team. You look at us right now, we don't have to take a back seat to too many teams.''

Of the 10 expansion teams before the Marlins, only two - the Angels and Royals - played .500 or better in their first five years. The Angels did it first, in Year 2. The Royals made it in Year 3.

The Marlins were 34 games under .500 in their first season, 13 below .500 and fading fast when the strike halted last season.

Can the newcomers make that much of a difference?

That's a good question for Pendleton, who helped transform the Atlanta Braves from last-place finishers (65-97) to pennant winners (94-68) in his MVP season.

''I have to find out what's in here,'' Pendleton said, tapping his chest. ''I have to find out in crunch time if this group knows how to play the game to win or if they're just collecting a paycheck.''

Teaching a team to win is a task expected to be shared by Pendleton, 34, who has played for five pennant-winners, and Dawson, 40, a likely Hall of Famer who has been to the postseason twice, with the Expos (1981) and Cubs (1989).

Pendleton, whose weight tended to be an issue in Atlanta, conceded that he arrived in less than prime condition. His frustration with the strike is partly to blame, he said.

''By March, I said the heck with it, and instead of working out, I worked on my cars. My wife kept telling me I needed to get out and run, but it was tough.''

The Marlins' job now is paring to 28 by April 25, and finally to 25 by May 15.

''The decisions will be a lot tougher this spring,'' Manager Rene Lachemann said, ''but when the decisions are tougher, that means you're getting better, as far as I'm concerned.''